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Congratulations!
Congratulations!
Expecting a child is an exciting experience, but it can also be stressful and filled with many unknowns. It can be difficult to know who to tell and hard to find out what you need to do.
We have put together a timeline of important dates and recommended steps to take during the antenatal period.
Quick Links
Quick Links
For information on partner/paternity leave and shared parental leave
For information on returning to work and keeping in touch, relevant if you are planning to be off work for more than 3 months
As soon as you feel comfortable
Inform the department and rota coordinator
Inform your educational supervisor
ASAP
Consider stopping salary sacrifice schemes by week 17
Your average weekly earnings are calculated on your gross income
If you are in a salary sacrifice scheme, the calculation will be based on your pay after this is taken out
Therefore your parental pay will be reduced compared to what you might expect
It's worth considering stopping any salary sacrifice schemes early enough so your parental pay isn’t impacted
More info on how your parental leave pay is calculated can be found here
Week 20
Get MATB1 form
Your partner can get this from their midwife any time from 20 weeks
The MatB1 form provides proof of your pregnancy and due date
You will need to share this with your employer when you apply for parental leave and pay
Week 25
Submit your partner/paternity leave application and MatB1 form to your employer
This is the latest you should notify your supervisor and employer
This needs to be done by now in order to be eligible for partner/paternity leave and pay
This application officially informs your employer of the EDD of your baby and your anticipated parental leave start date
Week 25
This is your "qualifying week"
Parental pay is worked out based on your average weekly earnings on the 2 payslips before this.
You need to have been employed by your trust for 26 weeks prior to this to qualify for SPP, unless you have moved trusts due to a training (more info here)
Week 29
You need to have 12 months continuous service with the NHS by this point to receive occupational maternity pay
Week 34
If you are planning on taking SPL immediately after your partner's compulsory 2 weeks of maternity / adoption leave:
Make sure you have submitted a SPL application by now
Ensure your partner has submitted their notice of curtailment of maternity / adoption leave
NB A minimum of 8 weeks notice is needed for changes to SPL dates
In reality you may not be able to give notice of changes to your leave start dates due to early delivery etc and trusts should be supportive of this.However planned changes should be made with the advised notice period where possible
Month before your leave
You should receive a breakdown of your anticipated parental leave pay a month before your leave is due to start
There is some guidance here to help you check your pay is correct
You may also want to clarify how much you will be paid for any SPLiT days you chose to take
If you haven't received this you may want to contact HR / payroll
Before you go
If you are planning to be off for a period of more than 3 months:
Meet with ES to complete pre-absence form here so you can access the SuppoRTT fund
Meet with ES / manager to plan and find out process of booking SPLiT days at your trust
- SuppoRRT is an HEE initiative to help give individualised support to trainees returning to work after a period of time out
- To access this you need to complete a pre-absence form before going on leave
- Click here to find out more and how to apply in your local HEE region
Before you go
Inform your professional bodies of your upcoming leave to access membership discounts - click here for more info
Before you go
Contact IT to ensure your hospital log ins are not deleted
Contact NHS Email to ensure your email address is not deleted
Place an out of office on your emails with a return date
Other Things to Think About
Other Things to Think About
Consider booking an antenatal class – these become very booked up from early in pregnancy
Can be a great way to meet local parents-to-be expecting at a similar time
Sign up to childcare waiting lists – childcare options can have waiting lists 1-2 years long therefore you need to join well before baby arrives depending on if and when you’re planning childcare for your baby!
Time Off for Appointments
Time Off for Appointments
As a minimum, you have the right to unpaid time off work to attend 2 antenatal appointments
However, check with your trust policy / rota team - many trusts will agree to reasonable paid time off work to attend antenatal appointments
Unexpected Events
Unexpected Events
Miscarriage
Miscarriage
If your partner suffers a miscarriage before the 24th week of pregnancy, you are eligibile for the following
5 days of paid leave
Paid time off to support you to attend appointments linked to pregnancy or baby loss
If your partner suffers a miscarriage after the 24th week of pregnancy, this is considered as a still birth
There is new guidance, which was issued to trusts in March 2024.
Please share the following resources with your trust if they have not updated their policy yet.
The News article summarising this can be found here
The full policy framework can be found here: National Pregnancy and Baby Loss People Policy Framework
This new guidance includes (but is not limited to):
Miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, molar pregnancy, and termination of pregnancy
Stillbirth
Stillbirth
If your baby is born still born after the 24th week of pregnancy, you are entitled to full partner/paternity and shared parental leave and pay
Loss of a Baby
Loss of a Baby
If your baby is born alive at any point in pregnancy but later dies you are entitled to full partner/paternity and shared parental leave and pay
Return to Work Timeline
Return to Work Timeline
During leave
If you are taking SPL, you can book up to 20 SPLiT days
As soon as you know your RTW date
Inform TPD and college tutors of RTW date
Inform department rota co-ordinator and admin teams
Within 3 months of birth
Apply for child benefits
You can aply ant time however payment can only be backdated 3 months
More info about child benefits can be found here
3 months before RTW
Apply for LTFT training if you are planning to return LTFT or change your LTFT percentage
By 8 weeks before change of SPL block or end of SPL
Confirm end date of shared parental leave
Just before returning to work
If you are planning to access the SuppoRTT fund, meet with your ES to complete a pre-return form
Just after returning to work
If you used the SuppoRTT fund, meet with your ES to complete a post-return form
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